Laser Engraving Settings Guide 2026: Complete Reference

Laser Engraving Settings Guide 2026: Complete Reference

Tested and proven settings for wood, acrylic, leather, metal, and more. For Tyvok A1 Mini and P2 Galvo.

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Introduction: Settings Make or Break Your Results

You can have the best laser in the world, but if your settings are wrong, your results will be garbage.

After testing thousands of settings on the Tyvok A1 Mini and Tyvok P2 Galvo, we've compiled this complete reference guide.

These are tested and proven settings that work every time.

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Important Notes Before You Start

Always Test First

Always do a 5 second test engrave in the corner of your material first. Even with these settings, material thickness and humidity can vary.

These Settings Are For Tyvok Lasers

Different lasers have different power levels. These settings are calibrated specifically for:

• Tyvok A1 Mini 10W Diode Laser
• Tyvok P2 Galvo 10W Galvo Laser

Speed and Power Tradeoff

• Higher speed + higher power = Faster production, good for deep engravings
• Lower speed + lower power = More detailed, lighter engravings

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Wood Settings

Baltic Birch Plywood (Most Popular)

Tyvok A1 Mini (Diode)

Thickness	Engrave Power	Engrave Speed	Cut Power	Cut Speed
1.5mm (1/16")	50%	400 mm/s	100%	25 mm/s
3mm (1/8")	60%	300 mm/s	100%	15 mm/s
6mm (1/4")	70%	250 mm/s	100%	8 mm/s

Tyvok P2 Galvo

Thickness	Engrave Power	Engrave Speed
3mm (1/8")	40%	2000 mm/s
6mm (1/4")	50%	1500 mm/s

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Solid Cherry Wood

Tyvok A1 Mini

Thickness	Engrave Power	Engrave Speed	Cut Power	Cut Speed
3mm	40%	450 mm/s	100%	6 mm/s
6mm	50%	350 mm/s	100%	4 mm/s

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Walnut

Tyvok A1 Mini

Thickness	Engrave Power	Engrave Speed	Cut Power	Cut Speed
3mm	35%	500 mm/s	100%	5 mm/s
6mm	45%	400 mm/s	100%	3 mm/s

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MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard)

Tyvok A1 Mini

Thickness	Engrave Power	Engrave Speed	Cut Power	Cut Speed
3mm	40%	400 mm/s	100%	10 mm/s
6mm	50%	300 mm/s	100%	6 mm/s

Note: MDF produces a lot of dust. Make sure your exhaust is working well.

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Acrylic Settings

Cast Acrylic (Best for Engraving)

Tyvok A1 Mini

Thickness	Engrave Power	Engrave Speed	Cut Power	Cut Speed
1.5mm	15%	600 mm/s	100%	18 mm/s
3mm	20%	500 mm/s	100%	12 mm/s
6mm	25%	450 mm/s	100%	6 mm/s

Tyvok P2 Galvo

Thickness	Engrave Power	Engrave Speed
3mm	20%	3000 mm/s
6mm	25%	2500 mm/s

Pro tip: Cast acrylic engraves bright white. This is what customers love.

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Extruded Acrylic (Best for Cutting)

Tyvok A1 Mini

Thickness	Engrave Power	Engrave Speed	Cut Power	Cut Speed
3mm	25%	400 mm/s	100%	15 mm/s
6mm	30%	350 mm/s	100%	8 mm/s

Note: Extruded acrylic engraves frosty grey, not bright white. Use cast for engraved products.

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Leather Settings

Vegetable Tanned Leather

Tyvok A1 Mini

Thickness	Engrave Power	Engrave Speed
1mm	20%	350 mm/s
1.5mm	25%	300 mm/s
2mm	30%	250 mm/s

Tyvok P2 Galvo

Thickness	Engrave Power	Engrave Speed
1.5mm	15%	2000 mm/s

Pro tip: Leather smells terrible when engraved. Good ventilation is a must.

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Faux Leather / Vegan Leather

Tyvok A1 Mini

Thickness	Engrave Power	Engrave Speed
1mm	15%	400 mm/s
1.5mm	20%	350 mm/s

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Metal Settings

Important Note for Diode Lasers

Standard diode lasers like the Tyvok A1 Mini CAN engrave metal, but you need to use metal marking spray.

Stainless Steel

Tyvok P2 Galvo (Direct Engraving, No Spray Needed)

Result	Power	Speed
Dark marking	60%	1000 mm/s
Color marking (gold/bronze)	40%	500 mm/s

This is the superpower of Galvo lasers. Color marking lets you charge 2-3× more.

Tyvok A1 Mini (With Marking Spray)

Power	Speed
100%	100 mm/s

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Anodized Aluminum

Tyvok P2 Galvo

Power	Speed
30%	2000 mm/s

Anodized aluminum produces beautiful bright white engravings with very little power. Perfect for business cards and tags.

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Brass and Copper

Tyvok P2 Galvo

Power	Speed
70%	800 mm/s

Brass and copper need more power, but produce beautiful results. Great for jewelry and premium products.

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Other Materials

Glass

Tyvok A1 Mini

Engrave Power	Engrave Speed
30%	200 mm/s

Pro tip: Put a wet paper towel behind the glass to reduce chipping.

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Rubber

Tyvok A1 Mini

Engrave Power	Engrave Speed
40%	300 mm/s

Perfect for custom stamps.

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Slate

Tyvok A1 Mini

Engrave Power	Engrave Speed
70%	200 mm/s

Slate engraves to a beautiful light grey. Perfect for coasters and signs.

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Cork

Tyvok A1 Mini

Engrave Power	Engrave Speed	Cut Power	Cut Speed
25%	500 mm/s	100%	20 mm/s

Great for coasters. Very affordable material.

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Common Problems and Solutions

Problem: Engraving Is Too Light

Solution: Lower speed, raise power. Or do two passes.

Problem: Engraving Is Too Dark / Burned

Solution: Raise speed, lower power.

Problem: Cutting Doesn't Go All The Way Through

Solution: Lower speed, raise power. Or do two passes.

Problem: Blurry / Out of Focus Engraving

Solution: Check your focus height. This is the #1 cause of bad engravings.

Problem: Back Burning on Wood

Solution: Use a honeycomb bed. Elevate the material so air can circulate underneath.

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Ready to Get Perfect Results Every Time?

These settings are calibrated specifically for Tyvok lasers and will give you perfect, consistent results every time.

The Tyvok A1 Mini is perfect for beginners learning settings. And when you're ready to upgrade to production speeds and metal engraving, the Tyvok P2 Galvo will take you to the next level.

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Ready to get perfect laser results?

👉 Get the Tyvok A1 Mini → Perfect for beginners learning settings 👉 Upgrade to Tyvok P2 Galvo → For production speeds and metal color marking

Last updated: May 2026 | Published by: Tyvok Technical Guides Team